India’s Parinaaz Dhaliwal, right, and Anant Jeet Singh Naruka compete in the Skeet Mixed Team qualification during the 20th Asian Games, in Nagoya, Japan. (PTI Photo/Atul Yadav)

Anant Jeet Singh Naruka and Parinaaz Dhaliwal added another medal to India’s shooting haul at the Asian Games 2026, winning bronze in the mixed skeet team event at the Aichi-Nagoya Games on Thursday.The Indian pair finished third in the final with 44 hits, behind China, who won gold with 52, and the Republic of Korea, who took silver with 51.India were locked on 44 with Korea after six series in the medal round. However, with the two teams tied, the qualification ranking came into play. Korea had entered the final in the higher qualifying position and therefore retained their place in the gold-medal contest, while India were eliminated and secured bronze. India’s progression in the final was 7, 14, 21, 29, 36 and 44 across the six series.China eventually finished on 52 after seven series, with Korea ending on 51. India had completed six series at 44, while Qatar were eliminated earlier and finished fourth on 18.Naruka and Parinaaz had entered the medal round after finishing fourth in qualification with 138 points from 150 targets. Qatar had topped the qualification standings with 145, followed by South Korea on 143 and China on 140. The Indian pair had shot a series of 44, 47 and 47 to make the top four.Asian Games Full Coverage|Schedule|Medal TallyThe bronze also means both shooters leave the Asian Games with two medals each.Naruka had earlier helped India win bronze in the men’s skeet team event, alongside veteran Mairaj Ahmad Khan and Bhavtegh Singh Gill. Naruka had also finished fourth in the individual event.Parinaaz, meanwhile, was part of the Indian women’s skeet team that won bronze on Wednesday along with Raiza Dhillon and Maheshwari Chauhan. Their combined score of 331 gave India its first-ever Asian Games medal in the women’s skeet team event. China won gold while Kazakhstan took silver.The mixed skeet medal takes India’s skeet haul at Aichi-Nagoya to three medals, following the two team bronzes won on Wednesday.India have built on their two-medal haul from the 2022 Asian Games, where Anant Jeet Singh Naruka won silver in the individual event and was part of the men’s team that claimed bronze.The women’s skeet bronze in Aichi-Nagoya is also a landmark result, marking India’s first Asian Games medal in women’s skeet. With three medals across the men’s, women’s and mixed team events, this is India’s best-ever showing in skeet at the Asian Games.